Real Estate’s sixth album, Daniel, is a jangly, sleepy venture into nostalgia and adulthood. The band mixes jangle pop and indie surf to create an even-keeled but monotonous listen. It is free, it is open, it’s easy on the ears, but what you get on the opener “Somebody New” is about what you will get for the rest of Daniel’s runtime.
Daniel’s lean tracklist of 11 songs and 38 minutes, it seems, leaves the listener wanting more from the band. The album exists in a container – tightly woven around their jangly, R.E.M.- inspired sound. From a songwriting perspective, the lyrics remain surface-level. The lyrics and the instrumentals create a nostalgic feel that allow Martin Courtney to sing about experiences in adulthood, and everyday stories.
Real Estate gets the most interesting later in the album on “Victoria,” which features an easy-going country swing and complementary guest vocals. The wailing guitar lines and melodies are a nice touch, but the album rarely extends past this instrumental change. The strummed acoustic guitars, nonchalant drum beats and vocals on the remainder of the album rarely let up.
The melodies on Daniel keep the album from falling under; like on “Haunted World,” where Courtney croons “The sun is shining through the trees / This haunted world is killing me / The moon talks to me in my sleep / This haunted world is killing me.” Even the previous track, “Water Underground,” has some catchy melodies, although the vocals, which are the driving force of the song, are almost overpowered. They are calm, but the prominent drum beat leaves one craving for a more guttural vocalization.
“You Are Here,” the closer, is the highlight. The movement across the track is well executed as the instrumental continues to pick up steam, adding drums, some background vocals, and distorted guitars to fill the space. It signifies where Real Estate might be going, or perhaps what Daniel was lacking the whole time.
Real Estate requires something bigger, energetic and more fleshed out to break the seal around Daniel. There are enough unique melodies and riffs to keep Daniel afloat, serving it well as a straightforward listening experience. Whether the lax vocals and repetitive instrumentals heed extra listens begs to be answered. Though, there are moments that point to a more interesting turn for the band down the road.
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